Standard Method for Deriving Stem Cells May Be Better for Use in Regenerative Medicine

February 8, 2016

(Medical Xpress) – Scientists at the UCLA Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research have discovered an important naturally occurring process in the developing human embryo that can be lost when embryonic stem cells are derived in the lab.  The discovery provides scientists with critical information regarding the best method for creating stem cells for regenerative medicine purposes, such as cell transplantation or organ regeneration. The discovery also provides insight into how information that is passed from an unfertilized egg to an embryo may impact the quality of the embryo and subsequently, the birth of healthy children.